New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-08
IfRE1 READING FOR THE PEOPLE.
SENDING OUT BOOKS FROM BRANCHES.

WORK OF THE EEw-YoRK FREE CIRCULATING IL
BRARY-I IT'S PLANS AND PROSPECTS
That circulating public library has already estab-
ashed itself In NewYorh is not widely known through
ne city. began In modest wsy less than seven years
ago Last year its circulation reached nearly 100000
The circulation and the facilities steadily ncreas
ing within few years the society having the ldrecon
of the library expects the circulation to reach moro than
q million Of volumes annually. The beginning OF the
Eew-York Free Circulating Library was In two rented
rooms in No. 80 Bond-st In March, 1850. Two years
later building exclusively for the library was built at
No 40 Bond-st In December. 1884, the Ottendorfer
Branch opened in No. 1875 secondave' near Eghtn
st. On May work win begin third branch at Broad
way and Forty seconds to be ready for opening early
In the winter; and during this summer and fall fourth
branch will be built in Jackson Square at Trteenthst
and Eighthave which it is expected win be opened next
spring.
These branches are all under the direction OF the same
society Of which Benjamin H. Field is president The
yiceprcsdens are Frederic Kernochan Oswald Often
dorfer Mrs Francis O. Barlow, and Mrs Charles A. Pea
body j. Pierpont Morgan L. tho treasurer; William
Greenough secretary and Miss Ellen NJ Coe, Librarian
Among the trustees Robert Hoe IT,, w. w. Appleton
Temple Prime, Levi p Morton, John Bigelow, Miss Amy
Townsend Mrs. Richard James Cross, Andrew Carnegie
and Mrs Charles woerishofer The libraries are in
tended to represent the branches of main institution
which Il hoped will be established at distant day.
The expenses OF maintenance met by large number
OF members who subscribe yearly for this purpose NO
charge made to any desiring to take books from
the libraries His address is first inquired into and If 1t
IS found that he responsible person, 1t Is only asked
that he shall hold himself responsible for the book
loaned
The Bond Street Library built by the united efforts
of the members Of the society at cost of $4,000 Os
wad Ottendorer contributed the Second Avenue branch
which is known by his The building at Forty
eecondst and Broadway will be known as the Bruce
Library; Miss Catherine Wolfe Bruce gave $4,000 To-
ward IL few months ago. and within few weeks she
has supplemented this gift by $4,000 which is to form
the basis Of for the purchase Of the books of this
branch The building is TO be an attractive structure OF
brick and stone three stories high 1t will have read
ingroom exclusively for women well as one for men,
and one Of the features will be selection OF books for
younger children The Jackson Square branch Is to be
built by George W. Vanderbilt The building will be
twenty-five feet by ten feet and three inches OF the same
general character the other branches. When com
pletcd It will be transferred the society by MI Wander
blt With these four branches the library will reach the
most thcky populated portions of the city, In each of
them there will be complete set Of such books as are
most frequently called for but it expected TO arrange
system OF exchange between the several branches for
the less popular volumes.
The libraries attempt to supply anything more
than books of general interest" said W. W. Appleton
chairman of the Library Committee. The books on
special subjects for reference and study are beyond the
aims of this work. and they he found in the Aston
the Lenox Libraries in much greater abundance than
we could attempt provide 1t is intended however TO
make in each branch department on some specific sub
ject For instance, in the new Forty-second Street
branch, there may be a special selection OF French
works. while in the Bond Street branch or the Often
dorfer there will be department devoted 70 works of
interest to artisans In this way each branch besides
supplying the demand for popular reading In hcton,
travel history, may have special value OF its own
branches become heavyl"
On the contrary separate branches are nkey 10 re-
OF volumes circulating were lower believe, than the
expenses of any OF the great CIRCULATING hDrares IN other
added 81 1921 for books and S55S for building re-
pairs and new gallery in the Bond Streey Gnch
York heretofore seems to have come from the dieuy
n soSd and TIVE we ops to aeh O een
time but when IL is alone ii s OF comparatively
the Battery get hooks So the expense IN reaching the
readers and looking after the property is greatly in
creased But when there is a. library close at hand,
readers naturally go it Our books go down in Baxter
ct. well as 10 more Pretentous quarters what Is
ing to make any effort to inform neighborhood Of the
fact by the distribution Of circulars etc The reading
have been patrOnZcd at and the circulation
of books began Immediately Last year In circulation
Of nearly 100000 volumes we lost only two books
turned to usin instance from Texas and in another
York is concerned these libraries think. solving
that question, and the public has shown It's appreciation
by the careful treatment of borrowed books"
The readingroo connected with these libraries
open day and evening and Sunday from a. until
On Sundays last year the average circulation OF
in the Bond Street Library 163 and the aver
los In the Otendorer Branch the average number OF
books given out Sundays 300 and in the reading
teress appealed shown by the fact that large por
ton of those who take books from Bonds are boys and
many OF them employed az clerks Many OF the boys
Goa to SHS SsH Sg
little about its history Among these readers the libra
and of travel relating to the United States In the
spring when the readers about to leave the city
snd go aSSg and f0en them s IN h T
Branch has large percentage OF German readers and
books issued from this branch l2s 6s5; OF these
G6,s72 were in German and 81, sl3 in English.
There Is no printed catalogue OF the books in the Bond
Street Library and written lists kept from which Sc
lections be made. The librarians report shows that
q large demand made for books on education and
In science the Sny OF Times
every two weeks. Darwn's Voyage Around the World
the circulation reaching 300 and ongfellow next at SO
Draper's Conflict between Religion and Science was
fmes: Darwins "Origin Of Species" 20 times Jainei
@Englsh Literature IS times; Emerson's Essays "a
Sn ns II TINES: Dumas Monte Cristo 1888; Pick
wick Papers 1872; David CopRerheld rs; Cooper
thorne's Scarlet Letter &C; Les Miserables" Al
and Daniel Deronda" 3S.
The readers who make OF these branches those
whom the Mercantile and Aston Libraries would mo-
reach Heretofore they have only had the Apprentices
Library the small private circulating libraries in DIFF
fercnt parts Of the city draw from Most OF the mem
beers feel confident that these branches will in time b
able to secure large central library that will complete
fhesyse and give Ia NewYork free circulating library
that Will compare with those in Boston, Chicago, anC
other cities II suggested that this might b
effected by the consolidation Of the socetys branche
with the public library that il to be established by thu
ridden Fund. After the buildings projected ar
finished, the society hopes TO be able TO establish
frf bal fofN
INTELLIGENT DOGS.
Erom The Boston Transcript